Mr. Speaker, after years of unsuccessfully waiting for federal help, the Nova Scotia Salmon Association and the Atlantic Salmon Federation have a liming project under way on the West River. These non-profit, volunteer-driven organizations were forced to raise $270,000 on their own without any funds from the federal government.

Sweden and Norway have working liming programs, but in Canada the government is content to leave Atlantic salmon on the species at risk list. The Liberal government has a responsibility to support liming in order to mitigate the effects of acid rain. Why is it not?

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate groups that are involved in salmon stewardship across this country. In fact, there are thousands and thousands of Canadians who do work to support our rivers and streams and who support the safety and the development of salmon across this country. Without them, we could not do our work at all. The fact is that we rely on those volunteers, who do a great deal.

In this year's budget we have $30 million for the Atlantic salmon endowment fund, which will help salmon in that region.

Mr. Speaker, there has been another sockeye season and another disaster for B.C. fishermen. I am seeing a pattern here.

Last season the minister presided over some of the lowest spawning numbers on record. This season, despite more than seven million returning sockeye, DFO prevented commercial and sports fishermen from getting their fair share even though there was an opportunity for them to do so. In fact, commercial fishermen were not allowed to fish at all.

Will the minister admit that he mismanaged yet another sockeye season? Will he inform the House of how he plans to compensate those who have been economically devastated by his decisions?

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague should know that ocean temperatures resulted in a lower than expected abundance of sockeye salmon this year and a record late return. I think he ought to know that. That is why, of course, commercial fisheries were closed this year, unfortunately, to meet conservation goals. That is our top priority.

I am sympathetic to the plight of the commercial sector. It is important and we need to cooperate on sustaining salmon populations for the future of this sector.

Mr. Speaker, on August 18, in Baie-Comeau, the Premier of Quebec stated that the expansion plans of the Société du port ferroviaire de Baie-Comeau—Hauterive were directly conditional on a decision by the federal government, which has yet to confirm its involvement in this project.

Will the minister responsible for economic development commit to meet with his counterpart in Quebec in order to resolve this impasse and allow this project, which is important to the region, to proceed?

Lucienne RobillardPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, it is quite surprising to have a Bloc Québécois member who voted against Bill C-9, which gave complete autonomy to the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, now ask my colleague to intervene in a situation taking place in a specific region.

I can assure the Bloc Québécois and all hon. members that, anytime a problem arises in one of the regions of Quebec, Economic Development Canada and my colleague are there to assess the situation and implement solutions with the local community.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Social Development. Both in the budget and in subsequent announcements the minister demonstrated the government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all Canadians have access to affordable child care.

Could the minister tell us what action the government has taken to honour the commitment made in the throne speech and in budget 2005?

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, last week we signed an agreement with the province of British Columbia, the seventh provincial agreement we have signed.

Money is already flowing to all of the provinces and all of the territories under a trust fund this year. That money represents, even at this particular moment, a 40% increase in what all levels of government are spending on child care within the country. It gives the opportunity for much more affordable child care, a much higher quality child care, and the ability to deliver child care--

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Honourable David Alward, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, from New Brunswick, and the Honourable Chris d'Entremont, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the 48th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership and associate membership of the standing committees of the House be deemed tabled and concurred in.

Before we proceed, I want to indicate one reservation the Chair had about proceedings in question period today. There were questions concerning what appear to be transfers of funds from campaigns to other places. I know that the deputy government House leader jumped up to answer these questions. In my view, questions concerning election expenses and election moneys are not within the administrative purview of the government.

I am sorry that I did not jump on the question when it was asked. I did not and I realized as I sat here thinking of it afterward that I had failed to do so. I want to make sure members know that such questions are out of order. Questions in question period must deal with the administrative responsibilities of the government, and the administration of the election law is not part of the administrative responsibility of the government. Accordingly, questions on that score are out of order.